Oblivion
by TheOpenCorridor
Summary: Long after the Clans fell apart, darkness still lurks. Fallowstep never cared about almost anyone. She never started realizing her error until the one that she truly did care about was taken away from her...
1. Prologue

Prologue

The rain whispered outside of the den, causing chills to crawl down Fallowstep's spine as she gathered the herbs she needed for departure. She made sure that she did not produce any noise as she weaved through the bundles of sleeping cats and slipped out of the entrance, allowing the rain to batter down onto her face.

This was it. This was the time. She had been anticipating this moment every night while she was huddled up in her nest, infuriated that something like this should happen, blaming herself for everything she caused, hating her own soul to the core for what she had done, determined to fix what went wrong…..

Frightened that everyone would find out who she truly was.

Since Fallowstep was young, she knew that something was abnormal about her. If any of the officials found out….if Falconstar found out….if anyone found out what she was, she would be slaughtered in an instant.

Cats like her were despised. Cats like her were executed. Because of who they were, the last thing they saw were teeth tearing into their throats. Fallowstep's heart raced as she approached the exit to the camp, shooting one last glance behind her. She had to do this, she had no choice. It was the only way she could save her sister.

Fallowstep took a deep breath, allowing herself to walk out and travel down the hill.

A raspy mew sounded behind her.

_Welcome to hell. _


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Three moons earlier…

The sun was barely over the horizon by the time Fallowstep awakened. The faint summer breeze swept through the den and ruffled her fur as she stood up, warming the area around her. Most of the other cats were asleep, but she could see Morningbird fidgeting in the nest besides hers.

'That little mouse-brain is twitching like crazy,' Fallowstep thought as she examined her younger sister's light grey fur, mumbling to herself even more. 'No wonder I woke up...'

She padded over to Morningbird and swiped her paw across her face. "Perhaps you should stop fidgeting before you awaken the entire den," she growled.

Morningbird's tail lashed, but nothing more. Fallowstep swiped her once again. "I said, stop fidgeting," she said more forcefully. Morningbird opened one eye and allowed her fury to show. "Last time I checked, the only cat I ever awaken is you." Fallowstep's heart flooded with anger, and she realized just how drowsy she was when she grew dizzy from it. She did not get the amount of sleep she needed, and almost every morning that little brat woke her up from her slumber.

Deciding to let this slide, Fallowstep returned to her nest and attempted to pick up where she left off, but to no avail. All she did was toss and turn for she did not know how long, and when the lichen at the entrance swayed she perked her head up.

Stumbling in was her mother, Daisythroat. Her green eyes were wild with fatigue, and her pelt was badly dilapidated.

The stench of yet another foreign tom wafted from her fur. Fallowstep sneered at her as Daisythroat traveled to her nest, her eyes trained on her until it seemed that she was sound asleep.

It was no surprise that Morningbird was still fidgeting. Not thinking, Fallowstep's mouth hurled out her thoughts aloud. "Look at her, she has obviously been fooling around with someone."

She saw that a few cats stirred from the sudden noise, but none of them awakened. Morningbird lifted her head up in confusion. "Huh?"

Fallowstep gestured to her mother's nest at the other side of the den. "Did you not smell that in her fur? It sounds like Pikefang again," She mewed, quieting her speech in consideration of her sleeping denmates. It would not surprise her if Daisythroat was being unfaithful to her stepfather, for she had been so before….

Her sister shook her head. "I doubt there is more to it," She said, a warning timbre in her mew.

Fallowstep disregarded it and gave her a fierce glare. "Mousedung!" She exclaimed almost too loudly, "You know for a fact that there is more to it." She never bought Morningbird's pathetic excuses for their mother's behavior. There comes a point when she needed to acknowledge the truth.

It was evident that Morningbird was fully awake now, her fur ruffled and her tail lashing. "You never had any respect for her, and it's about time you gained it."

Fallowstep's fury unloaded inside for her. Respect? Why in the name of the gods would she owe any respect to that filthy she-cat? "Why should I? She goes through toms like prey!"

"She is still our mother!" Morningbird growled.

"Does it seem like I care?"

Her words bashed a chord in Morningbird, causing her tail to sink down and making her look away. "You never cared. You never care about anything…"

Fallowstep's eyes widened. She cared. She cared deeply for Morningbird and she didn't know why. While the faces of every other cat was a meaningless blur, her sister was the one she loved. Scrutinizing her, Fallowstep could see that Morningbird did not realize that.

Resentment flared up within her.

Fallowstep trudged over to Morningbird and clawed down her flank. "Shut your little puny mouth," she yowled, not caring if she woke anyone up.

Morningbird flinched. Fear roamed in her gaze, but she remained calm as she spoke. "We both know I'm right…"

She knew nothing. Fallowstep wished she would open her eyes to that. She didn't know about her consideration for her. She didn't know about the guilt Fallowstep endured each and every day. She didn't know what had occurred in the past.

She didn't know what Fallowstep was….

"You may think you know me, you may think you know what lies in the core of my heart, but in reality you don't know me at all," Fallowstep mewed, her voice quivering. The pain plastered all over her sister's face was difficult to handle. She felt like she had just ripped her heart out and devoured it. A number of her denmates were raising to their paws and voicing meows of complaint.

"What is this about?" Fishgale fussed, glaring over at their side of the den.

Morningbird opened her jaws to explain, but Fallowstep shoved her over before she could and exited the den, leaving the yowls of protest behind.

. . .

Fallowstep attempted to avoid her family as much as she could for the rest of the day. She sat at the edge of camp at a secluded corner beneath a petite tree, nibbling on a vole as she eyed the clearing with suspicion. By now, word had spread about her skirmish with Morningbird and many cats were eyeing her. As always, that little brat was seeking for attention and telling all of her friends. Fallowstep watched the silver she-cat as she hurried to their sister, Honeynose, like she did every time something occurred between them.

_If only that petty little mousebrain would learn to grow up...then she would not have to whine and run to Honeynose every time…. _

Morningbird's POV

Maddening indignation pulsed through Morningbird, her fur bristled and her gaze fixed to the ground as she paced in front of Honeynose. "I fail to understand her. All she ever does is ridicule me and mother; that is all she has ever done my whole life!"

Honeynose blinked, her emerald eyes full of sympathy. "You must comprehend that Fallowstep is a tormented soul. What she does or says to you is nothing against you personally, for she is projecting her pain and needs help." Morningbird snorted. Even if the she-cat's theory was correct, it still would not be an excuse to take out one's anguish on others.

When this was voiced to Honeynose, she shook her head. "Believe me, Fallowstep does not see it in that way."

Morningbird halted, her thoughts intertwining and moving in alternate directions. One of them stood out to her. "Honeynose…was she like this before your father died?"

This question obviously pierced the sensitive part of her sister, because her eyes clouded and she shot a glance down at her dark ginger paws. "Well, when he passed, there was an evident change in her," she mewed, choosing her words carefully, "and when your father took his place, she became the way she is."

Morningbird's curiosity grew. She was aware that Fallowstep held animosity towards Rayfur (her father and Fallowstep's stepfather) but the idea that she despised her for being related to him had never crossed her mind. Certain that she was correct, she thanked Honeynose for her help and left.

She was still angered at her sister for what she did, there for she tried to occupy herself from her hatred as much as possible.

After volunteering for a hunting patrol and arriving with a plump rabbit in her jaws, Morningbird lingered toward the east side of the clearing, padding through the lichen and arriving in the den of the Chosen.

Numerous cats crowded the area. It was difficult for Morningbird to discern their figures through the thickness of the mist from the spring nearby, but she pushed through and spotted who she was searching for.

"Swanfeather," she meowed through clenched teeth, watching the white she-cat spin around in surprise. "Morningbird!" she exclaimed, racing over to her and snatching the rabbit from her jaws. "It has been so long since you came."

Morningbird gazed at her sister, pride illuminating her mood. It saddened her that her littermate was a Chosen, taken away at birth and raised separately from the other kits. The Chosen had a special place in society, for one was sacrificed for the gods each moon. She prayed every time that her sister would not be the one to go that time, but someday it was bound to happen, and she tried not to contemplate that too much….

"Nice catch," Swanfeather commented, ripping a morsel out of it and devouring it in pleasure. Morningbird nodded, her mind distant. When the Clans had fallen long ago, this current civilization rose from the ashes, forming and creating a more efficient structure-she just wished that there were no sacrifices involved…

"Are you alright?" Swanfeather inquired, worried. Morningbird shook her head, all of her troubles crashing down on her at once. Suddenly, she did not want to be around anyone. She had failed to distract herself from everything, and now every dreadful emotion that she had ever felt were inflicting damage within her. She wanted to be in a quiet, tidy place, away from the mist in the clearing and away from everyone else…

Her heart burning, she scampered for the exit without bidding her sister goodbye.


End file.
